Environmental impact

PSE endeavours to reconcile the reliable and efficient operation of the power system with its development whilst respecting the natural environment.

Our every power project meets the legal requirements for the impact of extra-high voltage infrastructure on the environment.

Polish safety standards for electric and magnetic field impact for areas intended for housing and locations accessible to the public are among the most restrictive in the world.

Environmental impact

Carbon footprint

PSE implements the strategy of sustainable development, which supports the achievement of business objectives and contributes to the achievement of the UN’s ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal No 13 for climate-related measures.

PSE’s activities contribute to the stable operation of the power system in Poland, and thus to some extent we influence the volume of greenhouse gas emissions. Like any organisation, our company also affects the climate through greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of fuels and the use of electricity or heat. In order to measure the impact of PSE’s activities on climate, we continue calculating our carbon footprint in line with our assumption, and we have included it as a permanent feature of the Impact Report. Carbon footprint is becoming one of the indicators taken into account in assessing the activities of our organisation and used in managing our company.

PSE carbon footprint calculations have been performed in accordance with the international GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. Our base year – i.e. the year for which we have calculated greenhouse gas emissions, against which we will compare emissions in the coming years – is 2017.

We have performed calculations for:

business conducted by the entire organisation, that is by the headquarters in Konstancin-Jeziorna and PSE field locations in Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Poznań, Radom i Warsaw,
execution of the transmission system operator’s tasks specified in applicable regulations.

The total amount of emissions generated by PSE in 2019 was 952,663 m tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (according to the market-based method*).

Almost 96 percent of greenhouse gas emissions at PSE is attributable to the consumption of electricity to cover transmission losses, i.e. resulting from our activities as transmission system operator.

The remaining 4 percent represents mainly the consumption of electricity for technical purposes by electrical substations, electricity and heat consumption in our buildings, emissions of SF₆ – the gas used as insulation in substation equipment, and fuel combustion by company vehicles.

Mainly owing to the reduction of electric energy losses in transmission, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was recorded in Scopes 1, 2 (location-based), 3 by 9% year on year. Taking into account emission factors for electricity according to the market-based method, the change of electricity supplier additionally contributed to the achievement of a total reduction in the scopes concerned by 43 percent YoY.

PSE transmission network losses are lower each year. In 2019, the last year examined, the transmission loss ratio was 1.38 percent, the lowest ever. One of the company’s undertakings that allow transmission losses to be reduced is PSE’s investment programme for the development of electricity transmission infrastructure. At the end of 2019, the company had 164 in progress with an estimated value of PLN 9.84 bn.

Another significant undertaking that allows electricity consumption to be reduced is investment in depreciated electric power infrastructure. Replacement of seven 220/110kV autotransformers is planned for the years 2020-2024, which will allow CO₂ emissions related to their operation by as much as 46.1 percent.

GRI 305-1 GRI 305-2 GRI 305-3 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions	Mg CO₂e			YoY change 2019 vs 2018 in %	Change 2019 vs 2017 (base year) in %
	2019	2018	2017	YoY change 2019 vs 2018 in %	Change 2019 vs 2017 (base year) in %
Scope 1 - Direct GHG emissions	3,738	4,139	4,450	-10	-16
Konstancin-Jeziorna, PSE field locations:	3,738	4,139	4,450	-10	-16
- Petrol	1020	1m077	883	-5	+15
- Diesel oil	885	869	827	+2	+7
- Natural gas	410	459	455	-11	-10
- SF₆	1 142	1,579	2,082	-28	-45
- HFCs	281	155	202	+81	+39
Scope 2* - Electricity indirect GHG emissions (location-based method)	1,110,504	1,220,628	1,260,544	-9	-12
Konstancin-Jeziorna, PSE field locations:	9,393	11,204	10,802	-16	-13
- Electric energy	7 885	9,627	8,957	-18	-12
- Thermal energy	1,508	1,577	1,844	-4	-18
Electric energy losses in the transmission process	1,068,973	1,177,838	1,220,070	-9	-12
Electrical substations**	32,138	31,587	29,672	+2	+8
Scope 2* - Electricity indirect GHG emissions (market-based method)	948,606	1,659,709	1,714,399	-43	-45
Konstancin-Jeziorna, PSE field locations:	5,736	9,861	9,553	-42	-40
- Electric energy	4,228	8,284***	7,708***	-49	-45
- Thermal energy	1,508	1,577	1,844	-4	-18
Electric energy losses in the transmission process	915 351	1 606 758	1 664 369	-43	-45
Electrical substations**	27,519	43,089	40,477	-36	-32
Scope 3 - Other indirect GHG emissions	319	283	194	+13	+64
Konstancin-Jeziorna, PSE field locations:	319	283	194	+13	+64
- Business travel of company employees by air	319	283	194	+13	+64
Scope 1 + 2 (location-based) + 3	1,114,561	1,225,050	1,265,188	-9	-12
Scope 1 + 2 (market-based) + 3	952,663	1,664,130	1,719,043	-43	-45

For Scope 2 emissions, calculated in accordance with the location-based method, the emission factor for greenhouse gas emissions related to generation of an electric energy unit was the average factor for Poland, and for emissions calculated in accordance with the market-based method, emission factors specific to our electricity sellers were taken.

** In this year’s edition, the calculation methodology was expanded to include electricity consumption at electrical substations. The GHG emission results for 2017 and 2018 published in the previous year have been updated by the emissions from that source.

*** Results updated from last year’s publication as a result of an improved method for the calculation of the emission factor for electricity by its supplier.

Sources of data and emission factors:
The energy and fuel consumption data came from invoices and internal registers. SF6 and HFC (hydrofluorocarbons – greenhouse gases) were calculated on the basis of gas top-ups. The distance travelled by air was calculated on the basis of the internal register and flight routes.
For fuels, electric (location-based method) and thermal energy, emission factors and calorific values were taken on the basis of data from the National Centre for Emission Balancing and Management, whereas for SF₆ and HFC gases GWP100 factors were taken in accordance with the 4th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. The emission factors for electricity according to the market-based method were assumed on the basis of information on the fuel mix used as published in the websites or respective energy suppliers. The emission factors for air business travel were taken from the DEFRA (UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).
No biogenic greenhouse gas emissions were identified. The greenhouse gas included in emission factors for fuels, electric and thermal energy is CO₂.

GRI 305-4 GHG emissions intensity ratio per electric energy unit taken off the grid	Mg CO₂e
	2019	2018	2017
GHG Scope 1 + 2 emissions (location-based) + 3 [Mg CO₂e]	1,114,561	1,225,050	1,265,188
Quantity of energy taken off the grid [MWh]	105,739,380	107,089,437	102,646,083
GHG emissions/MWh of energy taken off the grid [Mg CO₂e/MWh]	0.0105	0.0114	0.0123

Carbon footprint is the sum of greenhouse gas emissions produced directly or indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product. It includes the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases, expressed in CO₂ equivalent. Carbon footprint of an organisation includes emissions caused by all its activities. Its measure is MgCO₂e – tonne (megagram) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Carbon footprint is one of the key tools of contemporary environmental management. It is of an international nature and is used increasingly often by business operators as a basic method of improving business performance.